Developing Relationships Using aDeveloping Relationships Using aStakeholder Management ApproachStakeholder Management Approach

Records Management Society

Scotland Group Meeting 21st March 2006

Speaker: Susan Mansfield

Overview

Why undertake Stakeholder Management

1: Stakeholder identification and identification of desired stakeholder contribution and commitment

2: Development of an action plan to engage with your Stakeholders

The objective is to have a clear vision of who your Stakeholders are, where you need them to be, and how you’re going to get them there

Why Undertake Stakeholder Management?

Initiatives fail without proper stakeholder management

People cannot ‘second-guess’ your intentions and impacts

People will second-guess consequences from their own perspective

Individuals and groups need to know

what will happen as a consequence of your initiative

why it will happen this way

when they can expect to see it happening

actions they need to undertake to support it

Stakeholder Management shapes your Communications planning

Stakeholder Management helps you to identify and manage risk

Stakeholder Management allows you to track and control your progress

Stakeholder Management Part One

First you need to think about:

Who are the relevant stakeholders

Where they sit on your chart

Where you would like them to be in 12 months time

What you need them to do for you

What your key messages are

Step 1: Stakeholder Identification

Generate a list of key stakeholders for your initiative, remembering they …are preferably individuals but may be groupscan be internal or externalcan be affected by a small part or all of your initiativecan impact a small part or all of your initiativecan be formal or informal influencersmay not know that they are connected to your initiative

I

A B C

D E F

HG

Step 2: Stakeholder Plotting

Plot your list of key Stakeholders for your initiative in a chart, considering their level of influence in the organisation, and the support they currently show for your work …

Consider actions as well as wordsTake an organisation-wide view as well as considering their relationship with you and your teamUse a voting system to prioritise your stakeholders

Level of Support

Leve

l of

Influ

enc

e

Indicators of Influence

Leadership qualities Status and role in hierarchy Intelligent Articulate Those with strong social networks Access to Chief Executive/Managing Director People with large teams High delegated authority over budgets People with relationships outside organisation – media,

politicians, customers Members of groups on ‘the management radar screen’ Difficult to manage mavericks People with perceived expertise and credibility

Indicators of Support

Positive Behaviours

• Take steps to find out about your work

• Get involved in the detail• Volunteer resources• Talk about your initiatives• Are prepared to take a lead by

presenting or otherwise championing your project (especially in the face of opposition)

• Mimic what is happening• Will give things up (like own project)• Give time to your project• Take accountability for delivering this

for you• Prepared to be a lone voice in

support

Negative Behaviours

•Don’t attend meetings•Claim already have leading practice and won’t share or compromise•Say ‘yes’ but then do nothing•Hide information•Pretend your initiative is not happening•Don’t take decisions•Offer hurdles and barriers (bureaucracy, say ‘we’re different’, keep asking for more evidence or clarification)•Say ‘yes’ to one audience but ‘no’ to others•Let others fight your corner when they should•Promote or sponsor ‘rival’ solutions or even ‘rival’ initiatives•Put it low on their priority list – don’t find time to meet you, don’t provide resources etc.

Step 3: Stakeholder Progression

Consider whether you are happy with their position or want them to move …

Where do you want the stakeholder to be within 6-12 months?Take an organisation-wide view, consider other relationships that will help you get there

LRRS

RFBJ

AP ST

Level of Support

Leve

l of

Influ

enc

e

Step 4: Building Key Messages

Identify the blockers and benefits of your project to the stakeholders. Remember …

Blockers are barriers to your initiative successfully moving forwardBenefits are the enablers or good things to come our of your initiativeBy clustering them around a theme you will then be able to form key messages around the identified clustersTry to limit these to 5 or 6 key topics

Step 5: Stakeholder Action Planning

Against each Stakeholder…

Document the impact of the initiative on them

Define the activities & behaviours you require them to undertake to support your initiative to completion

Consider the benefits and potential blockers coming from your initaitive that might affect the way your Stakeholders respond to your work

Outline actions you have to take to support each stakeholder

S’holder

ProjectImpact?

Activities &Behaviours?

Benefits?

Blockers?

Actions?

Review and Next Steps

By now, you will have…

I

A B C

D E F

HG

identified stakeholders developed the detailplotted yourstakeholders

We now need to use this information in stage 2 to support delivery of the initiative …

built key messages

Break

Stakeholder Management Part Two

In part two you get value from the work done to date

Undertake stakeholder management planning

Create a stakeholder communications plan

Review and agree next steps

Step 6: Stakeholder Management Plan

Project Title

Stakeholder 1

Stakeholder 2

Stakeholder 3

Stakeholder 4

Stakeholder 5

Stakeholder 6

Stakeholder 7

Project Deliverable/Milestone

March 05 April 05 May 05 June 05 July 05 August 05 Sept 05 Oct 05

Stakeholder Management Planning

Use your Stakeholder Management Plan to update your Stakeholder Chart …

And your Stakeholder Chart to review your Stakeholder Management requirements going forward

This information will enable you to identify specific Communications activities that you can undertake to support your plan

Progress and issues that arise from Communications and Stakeholder Management will inform your risk and issue management

Project Plan

X

X

X

X

Step 7: Stakeholder Communications Planning

The next step is to plan your communications by identifying:

The purpose and message you wish to communicate

The channel by which you will communicate the message

Who has responsibility for ensuring the activity takes place

The date the activity is to happen

The status of the activity

Stakeholder Communications Plan

Date Audience Purpose / Message StatusChannel Responsible

Review and Next Steps

By now, you will have…

I

A B C

D E F

HG

identified stakeholders developed the detailplotted yourstakeholders

planned stakeholderinteraction

Planned communications

built key messages

Next Steps

Like any process this needs ongoing management

Be clear about who is doing what

By when

How you will monitor progress

Hold review meetings